Post by Christy Mobley
I have a great strength—I’m competitive.
I have a great weakness—I’m competitive.
This may sound strange but our biggest strength can sometimes become our greatest weakness.
At least that’s how it is with me.
The other morning while waiting for my oatmeal to bubble to a boil my mind wandered to a conversation I had with some blogger friends the day before. The question was raised as to whether anyone noticed a decrease in the traffic on their blog over the summer.
(For you non-blogger friends this simply means, are fewer people coming to your blog site?)
Honestly, I hadn’t noticed because I try not to watch those things. I know how I can be. But, after the conversation I thought, maybe I should. Maybe I should go all out for numbers.
While stirring my oatmeal, I shared these new feelings with God. Within seconds I felt His response, “Do you remember the devotion you wrote last year?”
“Our key verse, Philippians 2:13, tells us God has a plan and purpose for us, and He’ll get us where He needs us to go. In His timing. We need not try to beat Him to the finish.” (When I Lose Patience With God, Encouragement For Today, December 4, 2014.)
How could I so easily forget these words God put on my heart?
You see, in the past I’ve only had two speeds, all out, and dead stop. I’m kind of an all or nothing person. When I go after something I put in 150 percent effort. That’s my competitive side. And at 150 percent, I burn out fast.
The God who knows me gently reminds me who I am and the reason I shouldn’t count numbers.
I’m not the only one with a counting problem, King David had a problem with counting too.
1 Chronicles 21:2 King David tells Joab, the captain of his army, “…Go and count the Israelites from Beersheba to Dan. Then report back to me so that I may know how many they are.”
Taking a census of who you have doesn’t sound so awful. Not on the outside anyway. But what are the motives driving the count? Satan can take something so innocent and cleverly tempt us to take our hearts in another direction. And that’s exactly what he did with David.
David’s heart became prideful.
Instead of having confidence in God’s power, He became puffed up in how God was using him for His purposes.
There is a fine line between the two we all need to carefully watch.
My all out 150 percent competitive nature can also become a source of pride. When harnessed by the Holy Spirit this gift can be a source for God’s glory. But when left to my own resources it can be my demise.
It drives me nuts to slow down because sometimes I feel like I’m moving at a snail’s pace while others are racing by me.
And I’m built for speed!
But first and foremost, I am built (created) for God. For His glory.
I’ve learned that I can’t look to my left or to my right. My focus needs to be straight ahead.
God wants us to keep going. To persevere. For me that means slowing down the pace to stay in the race He has set before me.
“I’ve heard that patience is slowing down to the speed of someone else. I’ve also learned I need to have a little more patience with God and slow down to His pace — the pace He has set for me.” (When I Lose Patience With God, Encouragement For Today December 4, 2014)
So why rush to count when God can do the counting for me?
There may be only one person who reads this post today. And if that’s so, I trust that God only meant it for one.
You.
And YOU count.
That’s good by me.
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Christy is a wife, mother, writer, mentor, and Life Purpose Coach. She is passionate about encouraging women to move forward, and press on through their struggles, seeking God’s presence in every bump and turn in the road. You can connect with Christy at, Joying in the Journey, www.christymobley.com, Facebook, and Twitter.